Anything Goes...Lupone version

[jboy1]

Posted: 4/29/05 at 4:25pm

I'm starting rehearsals on a production next month. They're thinking of adding two numbers...HEAVEN HOP for Erma (which I think we're changing back to Bonnie) and LET'S MISBEHAVE for Evelyn (which I'm playing)...it's because they think we're both good singers and deserve more than one number.

If any of you are familiar with this version, can you tell me the best place both of these shows fit in? Our choreographer has been in 6 different productions of this version and he said they've added the same songs in some of them so he has suggestions.

What about yours?

[EternalJayJay]

Posted: 4/30/05 at 3:12am

Why don't they just do the 1960s Off-Broadway revival version? I did this version and it's just as charming as the Patti LuPone version, if not more so. If they want to change "Erma" back to "Bonnie" and add in "Let's Misbehave" and "Heaven Hop," they should just do the 1960s version. It is very hard to add these songs in, without rewriting the dialogue that leads into the songs (which is very illegal).

I think (don't quote me on this) that it is very illegal to change a version of a musical (i.e. changing characters, adding songs) unless it is stated in the contract that they can do so. You might want to ask your director about this.

All the best,
JayJay

[Jon]

Posted: 4/30/05 at 8:15am

It's totally illegal, and people do it all the time. Tams-Witmark makes the stupid mistake of offering two different versions of the show, AND making full scores available for perusal.

What's really common is to do a "hybrid" version of You're A Good Man Charlie Brown - using the new script and the two new songs, but using the old score for the rest of the show because the arrangements are so much simpler (hardly any harmonies, etc.).

[hannahshule]

Posted: 4/30/05 at 8:19am

Has anyone ever done the original version? (besides the original cast)

[Dollypop]

Posted: 4/30/05 at 9:22am

I've played Sir Evelyn and sang "Let's Misbehave" and the song is completely wrong for his character. He's an uppercrust Englishman and he's uttering comments about mammals and other such things. I had trouble making it sound convincing.

[BobbyBubby]

Posted: 4/30/05 at 9:29am

You mean the original with Ethel Merman? I don't think anyone could get their hands on it. I AD'd a production of the 62 version in high School. I find it much more fun that the 87 revisal. It's politically incorrect but whatever, it's still better.

And yes, tell your director/choreographer or whoever is making thse decisions that it is illegal to put extra songs into a show. IF the company finds out, they could shut you down completely. I think adding material is a sad and lazy way of directing a show. If they don't like what's in the script they got, they shouldn't do it. But people do it all the time. Someoene in my area got in trouble for adding "I'm a Big Bad Motha' from Outer Space", or whatever it's called, from the Little Shop movie. And people try to add the Grease movie songs all the time. ALL very illegal.

ANd I believe the latest Broadway version of Charlie Brown is now available to perform.

[Natalie 2]

Posted: 4/30/05 at 9:41am

I did the original version...a long long time ago. I played Reno Sweeney and after hearing Lupone's version, I love the original so much better. Reno's keys are lower (which is great for me) and the song "Let's Misbehave" is so much fun.

[Jon]

Posted: 4/30/05 at 12:15pm

Yes, I SAID that the new version of Charlie Brown is available, but many groups still use the old arrangements of the songs because they are easier.

[Marlothom]

Posted: 4/30/05 at 1:32pm

I did the older version and for Heaven Hop is a simple intro. I think someone tells Bonnie that she should be one of Reno Sweeney's Angels and she's like, oh can you imagine? And she just breaks into it. I really love that song.

[WISHIHADATONY]

Posted: 4/30/05 at 1:45pm

I love the Lincoln Center production from the 1960s that starred Hal Linden and Eileen Rodgers. In that version, Heaven Hop was sung by Bonnie and Let's Misbehave was done by Sir Evelyn and Reno(Evelyn was played by Kenneth Mars who did the part of the nazi playwright in THE PRODUCERS film.)

[frontrowcentre2]

Posted: 4/30/05 at 11:21pm

CORRECTION: The 1960s/Eileen Rogers version was not done at Lincoln Center. It was done off-Broadway in 1962 (2 years before Lincoln Center opened) The 1987/Patti Lupone version was done at the Vivian Beaumont Theatre at Lincoln Center.

As of 1988 Tams was still offering the original 1934 version for anyone wanting to do it but usually people who looked at it realized that it would not play for modern audiences without a lot of editing, and they would opt for the 1962 version instead. Now, I believe, the two choices are 1962 and 1987.

Despite its great score, the original ANTHING GOES was thrown together in a matter of weeks when the original book had to be discarded. The S.S.Morro Castle burned and sank off the coast of Jersey with a loss of 134 lives, so a musical comedy about a shipwreck just didn't seem funny. In her (first) autobiography, DON'T CALL ME MADAM, Ethel Merman recalls that the day of the dress rehearsal the authors emerged from the mens room with the final scene sketched out on paper towels!

[BobbyBubby]

Posted: 5/1/05 at 12:39pm

How old are you WISHIHADATONY? YOu post things about shows that I think you weren't even alive to see. I assume you are making comment on the cast recording, but perhaps you should be a bit more specific. I assume your avatar pic is of you, and in that case, you definetly weren't alive in 1962 or many of the years you claim to be alive in. Oh, and a lot of your info is wrong.

Don't mean to attack you but your posts have been bothering me for some time.

Thanks for clearing that up frontrowcentre. I hate when people state things as facts when they are definetly not even close to being true.

[frontrowcentre2]

Posted: 5/1/05 at 7:37pm

I just want the facts correct. Opinions are subjective, though is someone really loves or really hates a show I do wish they would explain why instead of falling back on teh lame reasons like "it sucks" or "its boring."

I can'r read every post here but when I see major errors cropping up I try and squelch them as best as possible. I'm afraid Tony thinks I dislike him or that I'm always picking on him..but he does get a lot of stuff wrong. I PM'd him a few times to explian but he never responede. Oh well..


To be honest, I was only 3 in 1962 when the revival of ANYTHING GOES played, so I didn't see it then (though I have seen productions of that version) but I have the recording along with all the others. I must say I do like John McGlinn's re-construction of the 1934 version (on EMI) even if some of the cast are not exactly ideal.

[BobbyBubby]

Posted: 5/1/05 at 7:49pm

But you are clear in your explanations FrontRow. You don't lead one to believe you were there, when you weren't. I don't mean to bash Tony either, but he seems to make statements about things I am pretty sure he didn't see, and that drives me crazy.

[lostwallflower]

Posted: 5/1/05 at 8:32pm

Act 1 Scene 4 (After Moon/Billy/Bonnie in Moon's cabin/Whitney in his stateroom, Moon take's Whitney's glasses)
Sailor 1: Hey- Aren't you one of Reno Sweeney's angels?
Bonnie: Me? An Angel? Ha!
Sailor 2: But you'll never get into heaven if you're not an angel!
Bonnie: Well I happen to know a little shortcut. ["Heaven Hop"]

I just started realizing how there are different the versions of AG. That's the dialogue for the one I'm working on right now. That version also has "Let's Misbehave" for Evelyn during Act 2 Scene 1, after "Public Enemy Number One" and "Let's Step Out" and before "Blow, Gabriel, Blow."

Is is illegal to rearrange the order of songs/dialogue that already exist?

[BobbyBubby]

Posted: 5/1/05 at 11:24pm

Yes, any alterations to the script without permission are illegal.

[jboy1]

Posted: 5/2/05 at 10:11am

Well, to let you all know, the theater where I'm performing isn't stupid. They know it's illegal to add songs and change things without permission. Wow, some people just don't have faith in how competent others are.

Anyway, I did the 60s version in high school and I thought it was horrid. I personally don't like Heaven Hop but if the director wants to add it, who am I to argue? As far as Let's Misbehave...yes, Evelyn is an English gentleman but he's also the COMEDIC character role. He falls in love with Reno and obviously doesn't want the upper crust marriage that he'll have with Hope. That is why he sings Gypsy in Me later in the show. It explains how he really is and feels towards the situation with Hope.

The reason they're adding songs isn't to change the show. They feel that the actor playing Erma/Bonnie and I are good enough singers that they would like us to have more than one number in the show.

Thanks for all the input.

[BobbyBubby]

Posted: 5/2/05 at 10:29am

It's still illegal, even if you give the material to talented people.

[EternalJayJay]

Posted: 5/2/05 at 8:14pm

jboy1,

It doesn't matter what their intentions are. It is still HIGHLY illegal. If Tams-Witmark finds out, they could shut down your production, withhold the rights for ANY of their shows and slap a HEAVY fine on the theater group.

It sounds to me that the theater company is rather naive to think that they couldn't be caught.

It's not worth it, is it? They should pick one version or the other --- not a hybrid of both.

-JayJay

[Amneris]

Posted: 5/2/05 at 9:02pm

totally random but, i met patti last night and i'd like to say she is probably the nicest lady on our earth.

thank you
amneris

[MrMidwest]

Posted: 5/2/05 at 9:56pm

I really don't think I "get" Patti Lupone. I've never seen her on stage, but on all the recordings I've heard she pretty much just glides through songs without doing anything too interesting. I listened to her version of "I Dreamed a Dream" and thought, "Why am I wasting my time with this when I could be listening to Ruthie Henshall?"

[BobbyBubby]

Posted: 5/2/05 at 10:53pm

If you don't trust the text you are given, then you probably shouldn't be doing that show. I think directors that switch material around without working one on one with the authors or the licensing company, don't feel confident in their directing. No matter how talented members of the company are, giving them extra material or another characters is cheating, in my opinion.

[scooter38432]

Posted: 5/3/05 at 12:53pm

I disagree, dollypop!

LET'S MISBEHAVE works perfectly for Reno and Evelyn. I'm sure that Evelyn is not the first uppercrust Englishman to refer to mammals. It's Cole Porter for goodness sakes! Plus, the whole dynamic between Reno and Evelyn is key here. Because Evelyn has completely fallen for Reno, he ends up doing things that he (and the audience) would never have suspected. That's what makes LET"S MISBEHAVE work so well. On top of that, it's a much better number than the dreadful GYPSY number that Anthony Heald sang in the revival.

I've seen plenty of Evelyns make that number work flawlessly -- and if done right, it can steal the show.

Updated On: 5/3/05 at 12:53 PM

[jboy1]

Posted: 5/3/05 at 3:13pm

Hey, scooter...I agree with you. LET'S MISBEHAVE is a great fun number and hopefully I'll get to do it in my production. And I also hate GYPSY IN ME but I'm going to try and make it funny.

As far as everyone else...as I said before, the theatre I'm working at is going to try LEGALLY to add two songs to the show. They have been around for 35 years and know what they're doing. If they can't get permission, they won't add the material. So that's that...no more. Thread CLOSED!